Home » FAQ » Myth: We don’t need fluoride in drinking water, because it is in toothpaste.

Myth: We don’t need fluoride in drinking water, because it is in toothpaste.

Fact: Research conducted since fluoride toothpaste became widely used shows fluoridated water continues to protect everyone’s teeth from decay.

The Centers for Disease Control and Prevention reviewed this question in January 2011. After looking at all the ways we might get fluoride (including fluoride toothpaste), the CDC recommended communities fluoridate water at 0.7 parts per million. Any less than that puts the health of our teeth at risk.

Toothpaste alone is insufficient, which is why dentists and pediatricians often prescribe fluoride tablets to children living in non-fluoridated areas.

Fluoridation offers an easy, inexpensive preventive strategy that everyone can benefit from by simply turning on their water faucet.